Friends,
Yesterday morning felt oddly familiar.
We had four kids in the house instead of two. Breakfast was a full production. Plates out, drinks poured, spills managed, attention divided. And once the meal was over and everyone settled into play, there was this calm that settled in afterward.
I laughed with my wife and said it out loud. This feels like working a long haul flight.
If you have ever flown overseas, you know the rhythm. Takeoff, then all the momentum of service. Drinks out, meals served, trays collected, dessert finished. And then suddenly, a pause. The cabin quiets. People watch movies. Some fall asleep. A passenger wanders back to the galley and asks for something small. You bring it. Life continues.
Parenthood has a similar cadence. Service, presence, attentiveness, followed by these gentle moments of stillness and connection. It reminded me how much travel shaped me long before it became something I wrote about or recorded podcasts on.
Later that day, we pulled out a photo book from one of our favorite journeys. New Zealand. Two years ago now. It does not feel that long ago, but looking at the photos reminded me of three things very clearly.
Time is precious.
Going is a gift.
Points made it possible.
We were able to take that trip because we had accumulated airline miles and because we understood how to use them well. What could have been tens of thousands of dollars in airfare became a handful of taxes. And because of airline status, we were able to bring everything our family needed without stress or added cost. Strollers. Car seats. Bags upon bags of them.
The real impact was not comfort or luxury. It was ability.
When you earn points intentionally and redeem them thoughtfully, you lower the barrier to go. You turn distant places into real possibilities without having to rationalize the intangibles. You make adventures feel feasible instead of fantastical.
And that matters.
Adventure changes how we see the world. It changes how our children see the world. It deepens relationships and expands our understanding of people who live differently than we do. Travel, at its best, is not about seats or hotels. It is about connection.
Especially right now.
There is a lot happening in the world. Political tension. Conflict. Division. Noise. In moments like these, real life connection matters more than ever. Sitting across a table. Walking unfamiliar streets. Sharing meals. Learning names. Travel reminds us that we are made for relationship, and ultimately, we are made for God.
As I look ahead, I still love great flights and beautiful hotels. That has not changed. But I am increasingly drawn to roads less traveled. Remote places. Slower journeys. Trips that stretch me and ground me at the same time.
So here is my hope for you.
Use your points to go.
Share the journey with the people you love.
Lower the barrier to adventure wherever you can.
Here’s to roads less traveled.
Here’s to traveling more.
And here’s to saying yes when the opportunity to go presents itself.
Fly well.
